August 15, 2003

Step up to the plate to donate

The Red Sox/Yankees rivalry may be more famous, but beginning Aug. 25 a new — and friendlier — rivalry will begin among area hospitals to recruit the most employees to donate blood. All MGHers are invited to team up for a friendly competition that will match the "Boston Red Cells" team — which includes the MGH, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Shriners Burns Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital — against the "Green Monsters" team — which includes BWH and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Partners employee donors may choose to participate on either team.

Between Aug. 25 and Sept. 12, employees who donate blood will receive a special "Challenge"t-shirt and a surprise treat on certain days, such as Krispy Kreme donuts, pizza and ice cream sundaes. On other days, donors have a chance to win raffle prizes, such as free movie passes, passes for the Museum of Science and the New England Aquarium or concert tickets for the Tweeter Center. A schedule of the donor challenge activities will be published in next week's Hotline.

"While we hope this three-week competition will be fun for all employee donors, our ultimate goal is to increase blood collections during what is traditionally a low-donation time and help keep the blood product supplies at all of the hospitals at a safe level," says Kate Grealy of the MGH Blood Donor Center.